SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
MAY 1, 2024
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA AT CANADA LIFE CENTRE
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz, Matt Menard
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– We were welcomed to Rampage by Excalibur, Tony, and Taz right from the end of Dynamite. Kenny Omega was still down in the ring with FTR looking on as The Elite retreated up the ramp. The medical staff slowly took Omega from the ring via a stretcher as the crowd cheered his name. A recap aired of the beatdown by The Elite on Omega at the end of Dynamite just minutes before Rampage went on the air.
The commentary team were shown discussing the seriousness of Omega’s injury. Omega was then shown being wheeled to an ambulance in the back as The Elite attacked FTR from behind and took them out. They then turned their attention to Omega, who was still on the stretcher. Matthew told Omega that he loved him and it was just business. The Elite dumped Omega to the concrete floor, then mockingly told medics to check on him. Matt Menard joined commentary in the place of Taz.
(Moynahan’s Take: A strong opening to Rampage as the show immediately opened from the end of Dynamite. For some reason, nothing really clicked with me tonight during Dynamite, but that end segment into Rampage was well done, and dare I say makes a case for extending Rampage into Dynamite more often vs. having it as a pre-taped standalone on a separate night.)
(1) JAY WHITE (w/The Gunn Club) vs. DANTE MARTIN
Martin attacked White right from the bell as the two went to the floor. Both men traded chops before Martin threw White back into the ring. White went on the offensive until Martin quickly turned things back into his favor, which led to White taking a powder on the outside. Martin flew through the ropes to take out White. Martin followed it up with a rising knee strike before he sent White back into the ring. White ducked a dive attempt by Martin, which sent him flying across the top rope. [c]
White had the upper hand throughout the commercial break. Martin nailed a dropkick as both men fell to the mat. Martin nailed White with a series of chops, then kicked him across the face before flying off the top rope with a crossbody for two. Martin clotheslined White over the ropes to the floor. They quickly made their way back into the ring, which allowed White to hit a uranage for two.
Both men traded blows until White threw Marin to the apron. Martin dropped White’s throat across the rope, then hit a nosedive moonsault for two. Martin tried for a suplex but White countered into one of his own before hitting Blade Runner for the win.
WINNER: Jay White in 10:30
– After the match, White picked up Martin and feigned respect by raising his hand before attacking him with a spike DDT.
(Moynahan’s Take: A fine match but the crowd never seemed to get fully into this one. I would suggest it’s because it came after the hot Omega/Elite angle, but this crowd has honestly been pretty mild all night. Can we please get White on the main shows and into something important? Please?)
– Deonna Purrazzo was interviewed backstage and was immediately fired up because she hasn’t been getting respect since coming to AEW. She said it was time for the entire locker room to respect who she is, and ended by saying it was time to make things personal. [c]
– A video package on Rush aired where he talked about his family history and his time as ROH champion. He told us we should put respect to his name.
– Renee was backstage with Big Bill and asked him why it was the right fit to be under Chris Jericho’s learning tree. Bill said the one thing he has always missed in the proper guidance and said Jericho would be the one to give it to him. Bill asked Jericho once again to teach him, as Jericho appeared. Jericho said hello to the fans and gave credit to Shibata for their match on tonight’s Dynamite. Jericho said he would love to take Big Bill into his vortex and make him part of the learning tree. Bill said he would not let Jericho down. Jericho said with Big Bill by his side, he’ll hold the FTW title for a long time to come.
– Clips aired from Dynamite showing Christian Cage’s attack on the world champion, Swerve Strickland. Swerve was then shown backstage icing his head. Swerve said he would remind Cage and his family who he was, and said he’d have a little talk with Cage and his family on Dynamite, but he wouldn’t be coming alone.
(2) KYLE O’REILLY vs. ROCKY ROMERO
Both men traded takedowns in the early going which ended in a stalemate. O’Reilly gained control of Rocky’s wrist before Rocky broke free and both men showed one another some respect. O’Reilly nailed Rocky with a boot to the face but Rocky came right back with a takedown. O’Reilly rolled into an ankle lock as the two wrestlers seemed evenly split. Rocky hit a tope through the ropes before going for another until O’Reilly caught him and slammed Rocky to the floor. O’Reilly locked in an arm bar until the ref had O’Reilly break it. [c]
O’Reilly and Rocky kicked away at one another as we came back from the break. O’Reilly gained the upper hand, then nailed Rocky with a huge clothesline as both men fell to the mat. Rocky made it to his feet first but O’Reilly caught him charging in and perched him on the top rope. Rocky countered with Slice Bread off the top for a two count. O’Reilly caught Rocky with a knee to the face then covered for a close count.
O’Reilly locked Rocky in a body scissors and arm bar combo but Rocky broke free. Both men exchanged holds until they both broke free. Rocky went for a back slide for two, then went for another arm lock. O’Reilly was taken to the mat but rolled up Rocky for the quick pin.
WINNER: Kyle O’Reilly in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A good technical back-and-forth that really came off evenly split between both men. Sadly, as has been a theme all night, the crowd just didn’t seem to care.)
– Saraya and Harley Cameron were interviewed backstage as the two made fun of Toni Storm and Mariah May, who they called “Tiny Storm.” Saraya and Cameron challenged Storm and May to a match on next week’s Dynamite. [c]
– The Undisputed Kingdom were interviewed backstage. Matt Taven was upset that Tony Khan couldn’t travel in a neck brace while Roderick Strong had no issue doing so for months. Strong then addressed Will Ospreay and their match at Double or Nothing. He said that at Double or Nothing, Ospreay would fall to the Messiah of the Backbreaker.
(3) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. SKYE BLUE – TBS Championship Match
The match was announced as a “Manitoba Massacre” with no DQs and falls count anywhere stipulations. Both women immediately went on the attack and fought into the crowd. Willow drove Blue head-first into an unprotected portion of the ringside barricade. Blue fought back and flew off the barricade but Willow caught her with a chair to the face. Willow covered for two. Willow propped Blue on a chair before running off the apron for a senton. Blue moved as Willow crushed the chair. [c]
Blue took a trash can lid out from under the ring but Willow hit a pounce from around the corner to take Blue down. Both women went back into the ring as Willow set up a chair across Blue’s face in the corner. Blue threw the chair across Willow’s face before covering for two. Blue was opened up across her forehead. Blue took a bag out from under the ring, then opened and poured thumbtacks all over the mat.
Willow was perched on the middle ropes as Blue threw another chair across Willow’s face. Blue went for a move off the ropes but Willow countered and slammed Blue into the tacks. Willow set up a table at ringside Willow slammed Blue on a chair before missing a moonsault off the top rope. Blue pulled a barbed wire board from under the ring and placed it on top of the table that was already set up.
Both women fought on the apron as Blue attempted a move. Willow countered with her gutwrench powerbomb on the barbed wire and through the table for the win.
WINNER: Willow Nightingale in 11:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Must we have a “hardcore” style match on every single show? And with thumbtacks no less? Apparently the answer is “yes” to both. Ironically, this got the crowd to its loudest point all night.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Between Dynamite and Rampage, something simply didn’t click for me all night. Maybe it was the subpar booking choices, the lengthy matches, the quiet-as-a-mouse crowd? All of the above? The match quality, as per usual, wasn’t the issue at least. That all said, I have enjoyed the live Rampages occurring after either Dynamite or Collision, and it looks like we’ll get another one next Saturday, May 11, after Collision. If you check out one thing on tonight’s show, it’s easily the opening segment between Omega and The Elite. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.